Structure for the placement, display and packing of merchandise

ABSTRACT

This invention is a structure for the placement, display, and packing of merchandise, designed to have merchandise placed in it at the manufacturing or distribution site and transported to the point of sale where it is displayed. It uses a small number of different parts, manually assembled, requiring no equipment, tools or adhesives, and provides a vertical structure which is resistant, lightweight, and attractive to the consumer. This invention provides a display stand which serves also as packing and packaging for the merchandise, which could result in a reduction in cost of goods.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

There are currently a variety of devices for the packing and display of merchandise, particularly for food. However, some of these are designed to display bulk products, that is, without any particular arrangement provided by the manufacturer; the result is thus a display that does not appear attractive or practical to the consumer. Other devices are exclusively display stands, which must be assembled at the point of sale; in these cases the merchandise must also be placed in packing and wrapping materials to be transported to the point of sale, which increases its cost. There are also display stands that restrict the availability of the product, since the consumer must take the merchandise only from the top of the display stand or from a limited section of it. A further inconvenience is that some display stands at the point of sale require fastening materials to keep the parts together, while others use parts that must be removed before the product is exhibited, as they would otherwise constitute a hindrance to the consumer or an un-esthetic distraction from the display. In addition, some display cases made up of several levels require that the merchandise displayed be rigid and resistant enough to withstand the weight of the product placed on the tray immediately above it. This type of display cannot be used for merchandise classified as fragile or lightweight.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to provide a stand for the display of merchandise—including that considered lightweight—made up of a small number of components, with multi-level capacity, without any fasteners to be removed at the point of sale. In addition it is a display that can be manually assembled, that is, without any equipment, tools or adhesives. Another advantage is that it can be manufactured to accommodate from one up to four different products, and practical to be used with merchandise of one kind, but with different flavors, colors, sizes, etc. Another objective is to provide a display stand that does not need to be stationed in a specific place at the point of sale, since this invention makes the product visible from any angle or perspective and at each of the various levels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The details characterizing this invention are clearly pointed out in the following description and in the accompanying drawings that illustrate it. Reference signs on the drawings match those used in the description.

FIG. 1 shows the part of the display stand called the tray, which is the surface on which the merchandise is placed. Each tray makes up one of the levels of the display stand.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the part shown in FIG. 1, that is, a different view of the tray.

FIG. 3 is a view of the part of the display stand called the divider.

FIG. 4 is a view of the part shown in FIG. 3, that is, the assembled divider, showing the parts that allow for the assembling of the display stand levels.

FIG. 5 shows the manner in which the part called the divider is placed between two consecutive trays.

FIG. 6 is a view of the part called support. FIG. 6 a and FIG. 6 b show the two components of the part called support.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show two possible ways of assembling the parts that make up the display stand.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 9 a show the top view of two of the various forms in which the divider may be used, as well as the space available for the placement of merchandise.

Referring to these figures, this invention consists of a combination of trays made of corrugated cardboard or other material of similar characteristics on which a number of cuts are made. To make the tray, the corrugated cardboard is manually folded along the cut lines mentioned above (FIG. 1); the folds provide the sides or walls (2), which on their ends have extensions (3) which when folded perpendicular to the base (1) can then be inserted between the two layers of material that make each wall (2). Similarly, the walls or sides have tabs (2 a) which go into the slots (4) on the base (1), creating in this manner the part called tray.

The part called divider is made up of several sections (7) marked with small cuts (FIG. 3) which, when folded over one another, form an implement like the one shown in FIG. 4. The divider has extensions (5) which enable it to be assembled to the base (1) of the tray immediately above it, these extensions (5) going through the incisions (6) in the base. Some of the sections (7) of the divider, when folded over an imaginary axis, create support points (8) to bear the weight of the merchandise. The divider has the function of bearing the weight of the level immediately above it, dividing the surface of the tray in different areas where the merchandise is placed, acting as a fastener, and defining the height available between consecutive trays.

It is possible, through the use of the features mentioned, to create several levels for the display stand, each level having a tray and a divider as basic elements, and going as high as advisable for the type of merchandise displayed.

In addition, when the size of the tray or the weight of the merchandise warrants it, it is possible to strategically locate separators (9) on each tray, which will provide additional support.

When the desired trays and dividers have been assembled and the required height of the display stand has been reached, an inverted tray is placed on the top of the display stand, serving as a cover (10) for it; at this point, a structure is completed which stands vertically itself, with no need for fastening devices. Once the cover (10) has been set in place, the display stand is ready to be packed and later carried.

It is possible, because of the arrangement of the features of this invention, for the component parts to have different shapes and dimensions, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 9 a, which show the top view of two possible configurations, among others, for the divider. Furthermore, the parts that constitute this display stand can be made of different materials, depending on the product to be displayed.

For this display stand to function as packing as well, the tray that acts as the base is secured by screws, staples, or other similar implements, to a wooden pallet (as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8). In addition, cardboard corner pieces and shrink-wrap film can be used to form the packing unit. 

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A display stand structure for placement, display and packing of merchandise, which forms and maintains a vertical position from assembly to point of sale in absence of separate fastening devices or adhesives, comprising: (1) at least one tray, each tray comprising: a base, a plurality of cuts in the base, and a plurality of sidewalls around the base, wherein the plurality of sidewalls are provided by a double fold formed by folding along predetermined fold lines along an outer periphery of the base to form two pairs of opposing double layered walls, wherein one fold of the double fold of each of the plurality of sidewalls has an extension portion on each end thereof which, when folded perpendicularly to the base, is inserted between folds of the double fold of an adjacent sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein at least one pair of the two pairs of opposing walls has tabs that are inserted into corresponding slots in the base to secure the sidewalls and form said tray; and (2) at least one divider, each divider comprising: a plurality of sections having cuts for folding the plurality of sections over each other, a plurality of extensions constructed and arranged for insertion into at least some of the plurality of cuts in the base of the at least one tray positioned immediately above the at least one divider, wherein the plurality of extensions secure each divider to each tray immediately above the divider; and wherein at least one section of the plurality of sections of the divider is folded around an axis to create a support point which can bear weight of merchandise placed on a tray positioned on said divider.
 8. The display stand structure of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of trays and a plurality of dividers, wherein the plurality of dividers are alternately positioned between the plurality of trays.
 9. The display stand structure of claim 7, further comprising at least one separator placed in a predetermined position on at least one of said at least one tray respectively to provide additional support to said structure.
 10. The display stand structure of claim 7, wherein each tray is made of corrugated cardboard.
 11. The display stand structure of claim 7, further comprising a cover formed from an inverted tray positioned on a topmost divider in said structure.
 12. The display stand structure of claim 7, wherein each divider is structured and arranged to bear weight of the tray above the respective divider, wherein each divider divides a surface of the tray into selected areas where merchandise is to be placed, and wherein each divider defines an available height between consecutive trays.
 13. The display stand structure of claim 8, wherein the plurality of trays alternating with the plurality of dividers form a plurality of layers stacked on top of each other, wherein each layer of the plurality of layers includes one tray and one divider, wherein a predetermined number of layers provide a predetermined height to accommodate merchandise.
 14. The display stand structure of claim 7, wherein the display stand structure is arranged to provide various levels vertically spaced with each of the various levels subdivided into a plurality of areas for placement of merchandise.
 15. The display stand structure of claim 14, wherein the display stand structure is structured and arranged to receive and display merchandise at one or more of any of said various levels without said merchandise bearing any pressure from weight of merchandise present on an adjacent upper level.
 16. The display stand structure of claim 7, wherein the display stand structure is arranged in a plurality of layers stacked one on another for receiving, storing and transporting merchandise. 